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About the Book

"Combat Over Corregidor" is a tribute to the humanity, camaraderie, teamwork and strength of purpose of the ordinary American citizen soldier on Corregidor rather than a sequential retelling of individual battles on a distantly relevant Philippine battlefield.

Charlie Bradford (he was uncomfortable with "Doc") was a surgeon in the Second Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, and a valuable member of the "Rock Force" when it retook Corregidor in one of the most dangerous airborne envelopments of World War II. "Wherever you were, you could turn around and Charlie would be there," one veteran later commented. It was a life defining moment for all of them.

Throughout his life, though, Charlie would talk little of it.

"I never get to talk to people about the 503rd. Unless they were there, who could I tell all this to? They'd never know what I'm talking about," he confided to John Lindgren, another notable 503d personality of WWII.

During the immediate months after Corregidor Charlie completed a private manuscript of his own experiences, and of what he heard first hand. It reflects the attitudes and language of the era. He remained reticent concerning the publication of his manuscript beyond the ranks of the 503d PRCT, though he allowed it to be used as an "Anonymous" reference source by those writing of Corregidor.

This manuscript remained a dog-eared insider's secret for over fifty years, but it should now take its crucial place in the 503d PRCT's History and Heritage. The men of the 503d PRCT, who have not always been entirely happy with what outsiders write, quietly defer to Charlie's manuscript as the closest to the reality of Corregidor, " Corregidor before the scenario writers made comic-strip heroes out of the real men who fought there." The manuscript is now published in its entirety, together with identifying notes of the individuals involved, so far they have not been lost in time.

There's also an introduction by John Lindgren, a noted 503d PRCT personality who had made a number of contributions to the Corregidor Website.

About the Author

Through the Corregidor Historic Society and, more recently the 503d PRCT Heritage Regiment., Paul presents thirteen publications, all connected in some way with Corregidor and the US Armed Forces in the SWPA during WWII.
He started developing the Corregidor.Org website about the 1941-42 siege and the 1945 retaking of Corregidor as a penance for being an insolvency lawyer. Now retired, he has produced ten websites, more than a dozen Military History books, and has co-produced, with Peter Parsons, the documentary of the 1945 retaking of Corregidor - "CORREGIDOR - THE ROAD BACK. He married Rosie in 1980, has three adult children, and hates cats. He lives between two shores, Corregidor and Brisbane, Australia.